Hammocks are one of the least expensive, oldest, and most convenient of devices for accommodating individuals in a reclining position. Traditionally, hammocks have been strung between trees, upright poles, and other convenient, relatively stable structures. It has frequently developed however, that the very environments which are most desirable and conducive to the use of a hammock such as the beach or open sunny area of the yard are generally devoid of suitable structures to which the ends of a hammock can be attached. Accordingly, various devices have been proposed to provide the necessary structure for suspending a hammock from its two ends so that it is maintained in a configuration where it swings freely above the ground. Of necessity such structures must be quite large since they must not only accommodate between their ends the fully extended hammock itself but also a reasonable length at either end of rope or chain to permit the hammock to assume a comfortable position and swing freely. Thus, stands which have been proposed for supporting hammocks have generally been large bulky devices which must in some manner be collapsed for shipment.
It has, for example, been proposed to provide a large elongated arch which stands upright on the ground and supports the hammock between its two ends. Such devices have however, constituted of the large number of pieces which had to be bolted together to form the extended arch. Typically, for example, such devices have consisted of two curved end sections which are joined by a pair of parallel elongated central pieces to form the extended arch. Yet an additional system has consisted of only two curved sections which are overlapped and bolted together to form a large extended arch. This latter system however, has the disadvantage that each of the respective two sections must be of considerable length in its self in order that the two sections when joined together will have sufficient dimensions to accommodate the hammock.
There is, accordingly, a need for a hammock stand which only provides a stable, attractive and functional means for suspending a hammock above the ground but which also does not require either a large number of sections or sections which are themselves of large dimensions so that they complicate the shipping of the device prior to assembly.
There is yet a further need to provide a support stand for a hammock which combines the features of attractiveness with physical strength, ease of assembly, and compactness of size and weight in its disassembled state.